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F. E. BEARDEN HEDDLE SPACER INSER'iING MACHINE Nov. 10, 1925- OriginalFiled June 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 10, 1925 Re. 16.206

F. E. BEARDEN HEDDLB SPACER INSERTING IIACHINB Original Filed June 19192 Sheets-Shut 2 ummmm airman, 5

Reissued Nov. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT? OFFICE.

rump E. BEABDEN, SP-ARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA. ASSIGNOR, BY MESNTE AS-smmmms, To BABBEB-COLMAN. n or Bocx o w, rumor A, COR

TION or" ILLINOIS.

HEDD-LE-SPACER-INSERTING MACHI E.

Original No. 1,339,313, dated'lay 4, 1920, Serial No. 307,046, filedJune 27,1919. Application f reissue filed August 22, 1921. Serial No.494,385.

T all whomit may COIICGWL.

Be it known that I, FRED E. Brennan, a citizen of the United States,residlng at Spartanburg, inthe county of Spartanburg 'andistate of SouthCarolina, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements 1nHeddle-Spacer-Inserting Machines, of which the followingis aspecification;

Warp-drawing. machines of the class now on the-market are provided withworms or screws arranged to; pass through. coiled springs engaging theheddles of. the cotton harnesses through whi'chthe warp 1s tobe drawn.The springs referred. to extend across the width of the. harness, eachhelix or spire engaging'a heddle. Control of the heddles by-the worm orscrew is obtained through'the'mediumof the spring; Heretofore thesesprings have beenmanually appliedto the harnesses. 'lheohject of tinsinvention is to produce amach ne for automaticallyassociating such aspring Wlth the heddles of the harness.

The. invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification, with the furtherunderstanding that While the: drawings show a practical form of theinvention, the latter is .not confined to any strict conformity withthe-showing'of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long assuch changes and modifications come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Referring-to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a top'pla-n view of'a macmne constructed in accordance withthe invention, showing a harness mounted therein with certain of theheddles' in spaced relation to each other as effected by the spacing andpositioning; mechanism of the machine.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the machine.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view showing in detail thespacing and positioning of the heddles of the harness, certain parts ofthe mechanism being shown partly in section. a

Fig. 4 is'a detail view of'th-ehelical screw or spacing worm.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevation-of the tubular. shaft or membercontaining the coiled spring, the tubular shaft or member being partlyin section.

Fig. 6 is a. fragmentary sectional View taken longitudinally. throughthe center of the tubular shaft or member.

Fig.7 isaa fragmentary elevation of the end of the machine opposite tothat shown in F ig.-2.

Fig. 8is;a detailrview-of the heddle spacing: and positioning screws.

Fig 9' is a'view taken inthe plane of line 9-9 of Fig;- 3. u

Fig. 10 is a'fragmental perspective view showing how'the. coiled spacerspring, the heddles and the shaft are associated by the machine.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral Views in the'drawings.

Referring. to the drawings in detail, A designates-generally the frameof the machine, which may be of any suitable form and character andwhich. supports spaced parallel longitudinally disposed track rails Bupon which the harness-supporting carriage. C travels. The rails B areformed at their inner. edges for the major portion of their length withrabbetslO which constitute ways for the rabbetted edges of the side barsor rails of the carriage 0. so that in this manner the latteris'nrevented from any lateral displacement in the. longitudinal travelthereof in the ways in the track rails B.

The top portion of the frame A of the machine is forwardly inclined andalso the carriage C supportedthereon is likewise inclined for theconvenience of the operator of the machine. Mounted in" the side rail ofthe carriage G at the elevated side thereof are spaced eyes 12 to whichare connected coiled rectractile springs 13, while mounted in the otherside rail of said carriage C are spaced hooks'14 on which aredetachab-ly engaged the screw eyes 15, thesame being fixed in theharness 16 which has also connected thereto the coiled retractilesprings 13 and in this manner the harness 16 is supported"inth'ecarnage(l in order that it tends longitudinally thereof, the said shaft 17being in this instance formed with pedals 18 for rotation thereof by theoperator of the machine. However, it is to be understood that the shaft17 may be mechanically driven through the medium of a motor or othersuitable source of power (not shown). On one end of the shaft 17 isfixed a sprocket wheel 19 over which is trained a sprocket chain 20, thechain being also trained over a sprocket pinion 21 (Fig. 7) formed onand integral with a mutilated gear 22 journaled upon a stub shaft 23fixed in one end of the frame A near the upper portion thereoffJournaled in suitable bearings in the frame A at the upper portionthereof below the carriage G is a driven or counter-shaft 24 whichextends longitudinally of the frame A and has fixed to one end thereof apinion 25 with which the teeth of the multilated gear 22 are adapted tomesh. The driven shaft 24 at its opposite end has fixed theretoasprocket gear 26 (Fig. 2) over which is trained an endless sprocketchain 27. The chain 27 is alsotrained over a sprocket gear 28 fixed to ashort shaft 29 disposed longitudinally in the frame A and journaled inbearings 30 mounted upon spaced parallel transversebars 31 and 32respectively at one end of the frame. The short shaft 29 projects at itsouter end beyond the adjacent end of the frame and has fixed thereto apinion 33 meshing with an adjustable idle gear 34 supported upon ahanger 35 suitably adjustably mounted on the frame A. The gear 34 mesheswith a pinion 36 fixed to the outer end of a feed screw shaft 37 whichis suitably journalled in the frame A beneath the carriage Clongitudinally of said frame A, the carriage C being fitted with adependingconnecting element 38 to engage in the thread of the feed screwshaft 37, so that on the rotation of the latter the carriage C will beadvanced upon the track rails 10 longitudinally of the machine from oneend of the frame A to the other thereof.

Fixed to the shaft 29 is a gear 39 (Fig. 1) with which meshes acompanion gear 40 fixed to one end of a stub shaft 41 which is arrangedparallel with the short shaft 29 and mounted in the bearing 30 therefor.Suitably j ournalled in the frame A opposite the short shaft 29 is astub shaft 42 having fixed to the outer end thereof a pinion 43 withwhich the teeth of the mutilated gear 22 are adapted to mesh.

0n the inner end of the short shaft 29 and the stud shafts 41 and 42 aremounted detachable coupling elements 44 for the de tachable fastening ofthe spacer and positioning mechanism hereinafter fully described.

The spacer and positioning mechanism comprises a spacer-springcontainer. and feeder tube 45 which is removably mounted in the carriageC with one end fastened in the coupling 44 on the short shaft 29, the

tube 45 being preferably of the length shown in Fig. l of the drawings.This tube 45 is adapted to receive therein a coiled spring-of suitablelength. Mounted within the tube 45 near the inner end thereof is a feedpin 46 which is adapted to engage between the coils of the spring 47 asis clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, so that on the rotation ofthe tube 45 in the working of the machine the spring 47 will be fed fromthe tube in a uniform manner for a purpose presently described.

Detachably connected to the stub shaft 41 through the medium of thecoupling 44 is a driving rod 48 which is arrangedparallel with the tube45 and is coextensive therewith. The rod 48 on the inner end thereofcarriesa heddle feed screw or worm 49- which serves to act upon thecords sup porting the heddle eyes to space the said cords in successiveorder during the travel of the carriage C in one direction. The worm orscrew 49 is formed with a tapered threaded end portion 50 and arelatively heavy opposite screw end 51 having the required pitch toassure the requisite spacing of the cords of the harness in theoperation of the machine. Intermediate the tapered threaded end 50 andthe screw end 51 of the worm of screw 49 is a grooved hub portion 52which directs the heddle cords from the tapered threaded end 50 into thespaces between the threads of the screw end 51 of said worm or screw 49on the. rotation thereof.

Detachably connecting the tube 45 and the rod 48 in their spacedparallel relation to each other is aspacer yoke or clip 53 which forms abearing for said tube'and rod and prevents either the tube or the rodfrom sagging one relative to the other within the harness during theoperation of the machine.

Th heddle-placing worm comprises ahelical screw or augerlike head whichis mounted upon the inner end of a rod 55 detachably journalled in abearing 56 on the carriage C and having its outer end detachablyfastened in the coupling 44 of the stub shaft 42. The rod 55 and thetube 45 are in the same plane, but, as best shown in Fig. 9, they arenot axially alined. The heddle-placing worm constituted by the helicalscrew or augerlike head 54 is located adjacent to the open delivery endof the tube e in position m engage the coils of the spring 451', as iseleanly shown in Figs. 3and 9 .of the drawings.

It may oonduce to a clear understanding of: the operation ofthemaohiueto explain that in a standard oottonihaa'ness eacheye a (Fig; 9;) is-oonneoted ate-one ofv the harmess shafts ZTElJY .afidoulele zeord 0,and to the other shaft by two condsdthat 'pass tooppd site sides of theshaft. The function :of the machine is to associatetliespring 47 withone of the cords d of: each eye, successive cords d beinglaid bet-weensuccessive spires of the spring.

As shown in Fig. 9, the eyes a-are disposed in two banks or series. Oneof the cords 05 upon which the machine operates extends from an eye inone series, the next adjacent cord extends from an eye intheother-series, and so on. Thus by associating .the spri-ng with thecords dat one side oi'the harness all of the eyes are brought undercontrol.

In use, the carriage-C is placed at the "lefthand end of the machine anda harness 16 is hung upon 1 thecarriage through the medium oi t hescreweyes liand the springs 'Il-mNaftcr the tube and the nod. t8 are passedbetween the cords (l and the tube-45 aud t-lie rod-48 are: coupledthrough the medium of the couplings 44 with the short shaft 29 and thestub shaft ti, respectively. It is, of course, understood that thehelical spring. 47 has been previously placed with-in the tube 453ml afew coilsot said spring 47 extended through the delivery end of the tube45 to be exposed without thesame. The 1K)d'55vCI3I'Iying the wormconstituted bythe screw or augerlike'liead Z54 -is mounted in thebearing 56 on the carriage C and screwed into a few oi the exposed coilsof the-spring 47. The-rod 155-is then secured in the coupling M on thestub shaft 42. lVhen power is applied to drive the machine, thespacer'worm-fi i screws its way through the coiledspring and spreads thewcoilsapa'rt for the reception of the cords (l. The cords d extending toopposite sides of the upper harness shaft are spread apart by thetapering screw-threaded portion 50 and thereby placed under increasedtension. The cords d at the upper side of the harness are fed forward bythe screw 50 to the screw 51. The latter spaces the cords d apart sothat they can be picked up by the free .end or pointofthe screw 54;. Asthe screw 54 revolves,-it passes the cords d, along beneath it, therebylaying a cord (1 between every two coils of the spring. As the carriageC advances, the cords d pass along beneath the rod 55, said rod Servingto retaiatlie spring in proper association with the-cords (Z. In therotation of tihetube set-he pin 4-.6aserves to feed the spring; 47 tothe spacer worm 541. The-helical wormifil, the heddleplacing worm 54,the spring iteeder rotate intemnitterntly, thus giving the operator timeto see that said worms are tuneiOning-prepefly. lVhen the'aen-tireharness has been fed past the spacer worm 54, the

rod 55 is detached from the coupling 44 and withdrawn tram the spring4L7, .aretaining cord (not shown) being substituted as the rod is beingwithdrawn. The harness is then removed train the machine.

The .machine as shown and described opi parting from the spirit of thein-ventionor 1 sacrificing any of its advantages. As heretofore stated,the machine can be operated by mechanical power in lieu ofmanual-operation.

Should any of the supporting cords d for the-hedd-l'e eyes he twisted ordisarnauged in the harness when the said cords-{move from the screw v5Ovonto thehub 52 of the spacing worm or screw, the operator-of themachine can readily observe the twisted character of the cords andthrough the instrumental-ity of :a suitable tool or the finger of theoperator he can readily straighten the cord to assure-accuracy in thesuccessive spacing of the supporting cords.

KV-hat is claimed is:

1. A machine for inserting a helicallycoiled wire between the cords of aharness comp-rising to support the harness,

ahelicjalscrew or worm, a- ,feed member for i .ahelically coiled wire,means active upon the ihe-lically coiled wire for opening. the

coils. successively, and means for spreading the supporting cords ofthe-heddle eyes of -the harness and positioning the same relative to thefirst named means for the 'auto matic placing of the eye supportingcords successively thereby in the helices of the coiled wire.

'2. A machine for inserting a normally- .contracted extensible spacingmember between the harness-eye supports of a harness comprising means tosupport the harness, a spacingmember adapted to engage the harness eyesupports for successively spread- 'ing the same apart, means for feedinga normally contracted extensible spacing member, and. a placing memberactive'upon the contracted extensible spacing member and placthehamesseye supports therein.

3. A machine for inserting a normallyeontraeted extensible spacingmember between the harness-eye supports of aharness comprising a memberadapted to e the harness eye supports for sue cessively spreading thesame apart, means for feeding a normally contracted extensible spacingmember, and a placing member active upon the contracted extensible spacing member and placing the harness eye supports therein, and a .movablecarriage for the harness.

4. A machine for inserting a normallycontracted extensible spacingmember be tween the harness-eye supports of a. harness comprising aspacing member adapted to engage the harness eye supports forsuccessively spreading the same apart, means for feeding a normallycontracted extensible spacing member, a placing member active upon thecontracted extensible spacing member and placing the harness eyesupports therein, a movable carriage for the harness, and a mechanismfor actuating the feed means for the contracted extensible spacingmember and the spacing and placing means.

5. A machine of the character described comprising a support having a:track, a carriage movable over the track, a feeder removably supportedin the carriage and adapted to contain acoiled spring, means formounting a harness upon the carriage, heddle-spacing means removablymounted on the carriage, and means for spreading the coils of the springwhen fed from the feeder and placing the heddles successively in thecoils and detachably mounted upon the carriage.

6. A machine of the character described comprising a support having atrack, a carriage movable over the track, a coiled spring feederremovably supported in the carriage and adapted to contain a helicalspring, means for mounting a harness upon the carriage, heddle-spacingmeans removably mounted on the carriage, and means for spreading thecoils of the spring when fed from the feeder and placing the heddlessuccessively in the coils and detachably mounted upon the carriage, andmechanism for synchronously operating the feeder and the spreading andplacing means.

7. A machine of the character described comprising a support having atrack, a carriage movable over the track, a coiled spring feederremovably support-ed in the carriage and adapted to contain a helicalspring, means for mounting a harness upon the carriage, heddle-spacingmeans removably mounted on the carriage, and means for spreading thecoils of the spring when fed from the feeder and placing the heddlessuccessively in the coils and detachably mounted upon the carriage,mechanism for synchronously operating the feeder and the spreading andplacing means, and feed means cooperating with the last named mechanismfor imparting movement to the carriage.

8. A heddle-spacer-inserting machine having, in combination, meanstosupport a harness, means whereby the heddle cords of said harness areautomatically and successively spaced, and means for successivelyplacing the spaced cords in a. heddle spacer.

9. A heddle-spacer-inserting machine having, in combination, means forplacing he'd.- dle cords between the spires of a coiled spring, andmeans for yieldingly supporting a harness for operation thereon by saidplacing means. i

10. In a machine for inserting a spring into a harness, a rotary tube tocontain the spring, said tubehaving fixed thereto a transverse pin tofeed the spring out of the tube, and a rotary screw adjacent to thedischarge end of the tube to engage the coils of said spring.

11. A spring-inserting machine having, in combination, means forsupporting a harness, a tube to contain the spring, and means to supportthe tube lengthwise of and within the harness, said tube extendingbetween the cords (Z of said harness substantially as described.

1. A spring-inserting machine having, in combination, means forsupporting a harness, means for tensioning and spreading the cords (Z ofsaid harness, a screw for succes sively engaging the spread cords, andmeans for sup-porting a coiled spring in position to be entered by saidscrew. 13. A machine for inserting a coiled spring into a harness (saidharness comprising two shafts b, heddle eyes a, cords connecting saideyes to one of said shafts, and each of said eyes having two cords clthat pass to opposite sides of the other shaft), said machine having, incombination, means to support such a harness, a tube to contain a coiledspring, said tube being supported for rotation between thetwo series ofcords d, a unitary heddle-handling element comprising a taperedspirallygrooved portion and a cylindrical spirally-grooved portion, saidelement being supported for rotation between the two series of cords (Zand between said tube and the heddle eyes, said element serving to spacethe cords d apart, and a screw supported for rotation at one side of theharness and in proximity to the end of said tube to place said springand the spaced cords d in engagement with each other.

14. A machine for inserting a coiled spring into a harness (said harnesscomprising two shafts b, heddle eyes a, cords connecting said eyes toone of said shafts, and each of said eyes having two cords d that passto opposite sides of the other shaft), said machine having, incombination, means to support such a harness, a device to contain andfeed a coiled spring, said device being supported between the two seriesof cords (Z, a heddle-handling element supported between the two seriesof cords d and between said device and the heddle eyes, said elementserving to space the cords d apart, and a screw supported for rotationat one side of the harness and in proximity to the end of said device toplace said spring and the spaced cords d in engagement with each other.

15. A machine for inserting a coiled spring into a harness (said harnesscomprising two shafts b, heddle eyes a, cords connecting said eyes toone of said shafts, and each of said eyes having two cords (Z that passto opposite sides of the other shaft), said machine having, incombination, means to support such a harness, a tube to contain and feeda coiled spring, said tube being supported for rotation between the twoseries of cords d, a heddle-handling element supported between the twoseries of cords (Z and between said tube and the heddle eyes, saidelement serving to space the cords d, apart, and a screw supported forrotation in proximity to the end of said tube to place said spring andthe spaced cords d in engagement with each other.

16. A machine for inserting a coiled spring into a harness (said harnesscomprising two shafts b, heddle eyes a, cords connecting said eyes toone of said shafts, and each of said eyes having two cords cl that passto opposite sides of the other shaft), said machine having, incombination, means to support such a harness, a tube to contain and feeda coiled spring, said tube being supported for rotation between the twoseries tothe end of said tube to place said spring and the spaced cordscl in engagement with each other.

17 The combination of means to support a loom harness (said harnesscomprising a shaft 6 and eyes a, each eye having two series of cords dthat pass to opposite sides of said shaft) and a worm supported forrotation between the cords d that pass to one side of the shaft b andthose that pass to the other side of said shaft, said worm serving tospace said cords apart.

18. The combination of means to support a loom harness (said harnesscomprising a shaft b and eyes a, each eye having two series of cords olthat pass to opposite sides of sai-d'shaft) and a cord-spacing elementsupported for rotation between the cords (1 that pass to one side of theshaft 6 and those that pass to the other side of said shaft, saidelement having a tapered screwthreaded leading end and a relativelyheavy screw-threaded following end.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature at Spartanburg, inthe county of Spartanburg, and State of South Carolina, United States ofAmerica, this 8th day of Aug, 1921.

FRED E. BEARDEN.

